Amaravati, Feb 11: Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Kodela Shiva Prasad on Friday shocked everyone with his crass comment while he compared women and sexual assaults to cars and accidents. During a press conference held in Amravati ahead of the ‘National Women’s Parliament’, Kodela made a shameful comment that assures us that misogyny is alive even in the 21st century. Kodela said, “Women don’t get raped if parked at home like cars”. He added, “When women are exposed to the society, they are more prone to atrocities. Is it not?”. Kodela belongs to the Telugu Desam Party and has served as the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New Andhra Pradesh from 2014.

In his 4 minute speech, the TDP leader during his address spoke about ‘women empowerment’ and incidents of crime against women in the country. The News Minute quoted Kodela saying, “Let’s say you buy a vehicle. When it is parked in the garage at home, accidents can be avoided, right? When it is taken to a bazaar or to the road, accidents are likely to happen. When the car is speeding, it is more likely for accidents to take place. At speeds of 50 km/hr accidents are less likely, at a speed of 100 km/hr accidents are more likely”.

He said, in olden days, when women were housewives, they were safe from all kind of atrocities, except discrimination but today women are exposed to the society as they are undertaking higher studies, working, and also are doing business. He said incidences of eve-teasing, harassment, atrocities, rape and kidnap come up only when women are exposed to the society. He said id women do not leave home, these incidences will not happen.

(NTV Telugu, You Tube channel)

As soon as he realized that he would be in a soup for his shameful statement, he started speaking about he wasn’t against women getting educated or women working. “I do not mean that they need to be kept at home so that they are safe. They should be educated, should be made to work and they should be given the freedom to earn, but their protection should also be taken care of,” he concluded. What is shocking is that the Speaker made these shameful comments during the media meet in Amaravati. The conference is a three-day event is hosting over 10,000 women delegates from across the country. The conference which include women MLAs, MPs, businesswomen.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party leader, Abu Azmi blamed women for the mass molestation that occurred on Brigade Road, Bengaluru on New Year’s Eve. Two years back he had also said that women should be punished for being raped. “If there’s gasoline, there will be fire. If there’s spilt sugar, ants will gravitate towards it for sure,” Azmi said. In January this year, Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said that the New Year eve mass molestation case was a result of western attitude and dressing.